Fatal Attraction: Bats With White-Nose Syndrome Prefer Suboptimal Habitats Despite Consequences
Bats with white-nose syndrome roosting in the warmest sites have been hit particularly hard, according to a new study by researchers at Virginia Tech. Courtesy/Virginia Tech
A research team uses a swab to measure the fungal loads on each individual bat and a laser thermometer to measure the roosting temperature of the rocks next to each bat. Courtesy//Virginia Tech
By KENDALL DANIELS
Virginia Tech
Since 2006, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has caused sharp declines in bat populations across the eastern United States.
The fungus that causes the disease, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Read More
Los Alamos High School Senior Named Top Scholar
Karin Ebey
LAPS News:
Karin Ebey, a senior at Los Alamos High School, has been named one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.
“I am really excited to be named one of the top 300 finalists,” Ebey said.
Her project title is Climate Change on Crocodilians: Modeling the Effects of Variations in Rainfall on Crocodilians and Their Ecosystems. On Jan. 21, 40 of the 300 scholars will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards Read More
Report Reveals New Mexico Lottery And Opportunity Scholarships Could Support Thousands More Students
A recent report reveals that 15,770 students received tuition and fee assistance since 2019. Courtesy/NMHED
NMHED News:
SANTA FE – A report published by the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) on the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship and preliminary data for the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship reveal that 15,770 students received tuition and fee assistance via these state-funded programs since Fall 2019.
“The demonstrated success of the Lottery Scholarship shows that state aid programs are effective in helping students attain a postsecondary degree,” Acting Higher Education Read More
Santa Fe Community College, Kids Campus And Higher Education Center To Close For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
SFCC News:
Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) and the Santa Fe Higher Education Center will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 18, 2021.
No classes will be held, and no student services will be available. SFCC’s child development center, Kids Campus will be closed.
All SFCC and HEC buildings are closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. Online services will resume and Spring 2021 classes will begin Tuesday, January 19. Kids Campus re-opens Jan. 19 and is limited to those who have pre-registered and are following strict protocols.
Spring 2021 registration is encouraged before Read More
LAPS Mourns Loss Of Student; Provides Grief Support
From Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus
Los Alamos Public Schools
In times of grief and loss, our school family comes together to support one another.
With that in mind, on Monday, Jan. 11, and Tuesday, Jan. 12, a virtual grief support room will be available to students from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Clinical staff and school counselors will be able to assist students in processing the news of Josh Miko’s death (LAHS student died in a tragic camping accident over the weekend) throughout both days, using breakout rooms for small groups of students to gather and share.
A separate virtual support session will
Environmental Public Health Group Became Program Of New Mexico Voices For Children Jan. 1
New Mexico Voices for Children staff members in Albuquerque. Courtesy/NMVFC
NMVFC News:
ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Environmental Public Health Network (NMEPHN) became a program of New Mexico Voices for Children (NMVFC) Jan. 1, 2021.
The NMEPHN, which was formed in 2018, is committed to advocating for environmental policies that positively impact public health. Its Advisory Board is comprised of medical, environmental and public health professionals from throughout the state, including retired pediatrician Lance Chilton, MD, Anna Rondon of the New Mexico Social Justice Equity Institute Read More
LANL Foundation Awards 22 Career-Bound Students With Spring 2021 Career Pathways Scholarships
LANL Foundation News:
SANTA FE — LANL Foundation announces the recipients of its Spring 2021 Career Pathways Scholarship, awarded to those in pursuit of a two-year degree, trade or certificate.
The 22 recent Career Pathways awardees from Northern New Mexico intend to pursue degrees and certifications in high-demand fields, including Nursing, Information Technology, Radiation Technology, Welding, Computer Science and Business Administration.
These scholars are highly motivated to gain the skills and credentials needed to enter the workforce in their career of choice, with the primary Read More
LAHS Senior Karin Ebey Among Society For Science Top 300 Scholars In Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021
SFS News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Society for Science (the Society) Thursday announced the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.
Los Alamos High School senior Karin Ebey is among the winners for her project Climate Change on Crocodilians: Modeling the Effects of Variations in Rainfall on Crocodilians and Their Ecosystem.
The 300 scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000 each.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars were selected from 1,760 applications received Read More
Rotary Hosts Dr. Sandy Farmer Of Pfizer Pharmaceutical
By LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
Dr. Sandy Farmer of Pfizer Pharmaceutical was the featured speaker via Zoom at the Jan. 5 meeting of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos.
In his presentation, How the COVID-19 Vaccine Came to Be: A Confluence of Innovation Along Many Dimensions, Farmer outlined the evolution of vaccine development. He explained that although the world’s first vaccine was administered in 1798 to reduce the spread of smallpox, it wasn’t until the late 1960s and into the 1970s that purified forms were steadily developed to eliminate use of live viruses which can generate Read More
PEEC: Test Your Knowledge At Trivia Tuesday Jan. 12
Join PEEC for its first-ever Trivia Tuesday at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12. In this month’s virtual game, questions will focus on New Mexico fun facts, snow and winter wildlife. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Test your nature knowledge at Trivia Tuesday night with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC).
PEEC will host its first-ever trivia night at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12 via Zoom. Challenge friends old and new at this interactive program and compete for prizes.
This month, there will be three rounds of trivia and questions will focus on New Mexico fun facts, snow and winter wildlife.
Prizes Read More
Family Strengths Network: Parenting Classes Schedule
FSN News:
Family Strengths Network (FSN) at 3540 Orange St. is a private, non-profit organization that has served the families of Los Alamos and Northern New Mexico since 1989 through its Family Resource Center and programs.
The FSN mission is to provide education, support groups and activities to all types of families, parents, teens and children. Through this work, FSN improves the quality of family life for generations.
Scholarships are available for all programs and childcare for all classes is available on request at no additional charge.
FSN has scheduled the following parenting classes: Read More
New Mexico Educators Now In Line For COVID-19 Vaccine
Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart
DOH News:
Phase 1B of vaccination plan includes K-12 educators as essential workers
SANTA FE — New Mexico educators are now in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, a critical step in returning to greater in-person learning amid the global pandemic, the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announced today.
Phase 1B of New Mexico’s vaccine distribution plan is now under way and will include classroom teachers, school-based cafeteria and janitorial workers and administrative and support staff, DOH said.
“This is welcome news and a critical step in getting Read More
Los Alamos Middle School Shines At Vocabulary.com
LAPS News:
Los Alamos Middle School has been named a New Mexico State Top 10 school at Vocabulary.com.
Los Alamos Online Learning Academy (LAOLA) Upper Academy students mastered 600 words during the month of December. The 2020-21 Vocabulary Bowl season runs Oct. 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021.
Eleanor Simons, a LAOLA 6th grade teacher, originally signed up at Vocabulary.com several years ago in the name of Los Alamos Middle School, but the recent accolade “is really for the LAOLA students,” Simons said.
The LAPS Foundation funded the premium license, which enabled access to many more features Read More
LANL Foundation; Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund Committee Launch Scholarship For NNM Students
LANL Foundation News:
ESPAÑOLA — The LANL Foundation has announced a new scholarship – a testament to the remarkable legacy of dedicated educators Nelson O. and Esperanza Baca Gonzales to the young people of Northern New Mexico.
The Nelson O. and Esperanza Baca Gonzales Scholarship, established by Nelson to honor his late wife, her family, and to encourage and inspire a new generation as a $100,000 endowment with the LANL Foundation, will provide scholarships in perpetuity for students from Mesa Vista High School and then Española Valley High School students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, Read More
PED: 5 New Mexico Public Schools On COVID-19 Watchlist
PED News:
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) has announced this morning that five New Mexico public school buildings appeared on the COVID-19 Watchlist in the week ending today, Jan. 8, signifying they had at least two Rapid Responses within a 14-day period.
Those Schools Are:
- AZTEC
- Aztec Maintenance
- KIRTLAND
- Judy Nelson Elementary
- LOS ALAMOS
- Los Alamos High
- ROSWELL
- Goddard High School
- WAGON MOUND
- Wagon Mound High
Note: During that same period, no schools were placed on the Closure List.
The Watchlist, maintained by the New Mexico Environment Department, includes Read More
Luján Meets With Education Secretary Designee Cardona
Education Secretary-designate Dr. Miguel Cardona
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement this morning after meeting with Education Secretary-designate Dr. Miguel Cardona:
“Yesterday, I spoke with President-elect Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Education about how the federal government can help New Mexico close the achievement gap. As a former educator and administrator, Dr. Cardona brings invaluable experience to address the challenges facing New Mexico schools — from closing the digital Read More
Steinhaus: Caring For Self, Each Other And Students In Wake Of Traumatic News
LAPS Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus
EDUCATION News:
Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus sent the following message to the parents and families of students enrolled in Los Alamos Public Schools:
Dear LAPS Parents and Families,
This morning, our teachers did an exceptional job talking with students about what is happening in our nation’s capital.
Throughout the day, I appreciate that our staff took time to reach out to each other, provide emotional support and talk through the issues.
In looking forward, what does this all mean for the Los Alamos Public Schools?
- It means we continue as a community
Learn About The Sunrise Movement Of Northern New Mexico With PEEC’s Young Adult Advisory Group Sunday Jan. 10
Join Zoe Hemez from the Sunrise Movement of Northern New Mexico and PEEC’s Young Adult Advisory Group for an introduction to the local chapter of the Sunrise Movement, 4 p.m. Sunday. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Join the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s (PEEC) Young Adult Advisory Group at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, to learn about the local chapter of the Sunrise Movement.
Zoe Hemez from the Sunrise Movement of Northern New Mexico will give a brief overview of the Sunrise Movement’s mission and share some examples of work that has been done by the Northern New Mexico chapter at this event.
After Read More
2020 LAPS Education Year In Review
Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus presents Nambe to 40-year service award recipient Karla Crane. Courtesy/LAPS
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Coping with the coronavirus topped the news in Los Alamos education in 2020.
On Feb. 27, Los Alamos Public Schools Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus, following the guidance of the NM Dept. of Health, was telling the public, “There’s currently no cause for concern at the schools, but we’ll keep you informed if that should change.”
By March 16, schools were closed for three weeks, which included Spring Break. In April, Read More
UNM-Los Alamos Advisory Board Meets Virtually Jan. 11
UNM-LA News:
The UNM-Los Alamos Advisory Board will meet at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 11, using Zoom video conferencing technology.
Agenda items will include presentations by LANL Director Thom Mason and UNM Provost & Executive Vice President James Holloway.
In addition, members of the UNM-LA executive team also will present reports.
Those interested in attending this public meeting, utilizing Zoom, should contact Laci Taylor at ltaylor06@unm.edu for additional information. Read More
